Tories dismiss call for more council homes

Ambitious young councillor resigns for ‘personal reasons’

LIBERAL Democrats are calling for more council homes to be built in Portsmouth to solve huge waiting lists in the city.

In a statement yesterday, the party said there were 1,563 households on the council’s house waiting list and that many families were being forced to wait years for new homes.

It comes after the city council sold off 16,000 properties.

A Lib Dem spokesman said the council had spent more than £40m on commercial property in the Midlands and in Somerset by borrowing money cheaply through the Public Works Loan Board.

Now, the party’s housing boss, councillor Tom Wood said this money could be invested into areas like Leigh Park.

He said: ‘With over 1,500 households on the waiting list for council housing, now is the time for the council to invest in building homes for local families and the opportunity to borrow cheaply from Public Works Loan Board gives us the means to do it. The people of Portsmouth need homes built far more than they need a Waitrose in Somerset.’

Conservative councillor Steve Wemyss, cabinet member for housing, rejected the Lib Dems call. He said; ‘They failed to do it themselves and it’s very easy to tell us to do more.’